The future of marijuana is here. And it means that the cannabis flower will disappear. Not because we don’t love it, but because so many innovative alternatives are coming into the market! Between oils, extracts & edibles, we believe the flower may not be needed in the future. Read on to discover new trends and a few expert opinions on why even it if doesn’t vanish completely, the cannabis flower may more to a more laboratory-extraction use than a consumer-smoking one.
Recent Cannabis Trends
Here are a few of the trends we’re seeing today in the cannabis industry:
Accessibility
With recent legalization came many things. Research & development are key, but there’s also one more important factor: accessibility. People can now walk into a dispensary, order cannabis delivery or enjoy vaping in the street. And the great thing is that there’s no real discrimination – as long as they’re of legal age, anyone can buy and consume cannabis safely.
Health & Wellness Applications
With research & a legal status comes one of the most obvious cannabis applications: inside the health and wellness industries. CBD has countless benefits to treat illnesses, and its myths and stigmas are finally being debunked. But today’s consumers are much more health-conscious, which veers their purchasing decision towards the healthier options on the market.
“The younger generation, the millennials and Gen X, are making a conscious choice about loving themselves. They are not consuming as many cigarettes; they are choosing to vape. They are concerned with their diet and don’t want to put unhealthy things in their body. Smoking of cannabis is not as popular as it was fifty years ago. Today, people are opting for edibles, oral consuming, transdermal consuming. In the future, we will have less smoking and more alternative, more advanced bioavailable consumption methods that will give more bang for the buck.”¡
—Serge Chistov, Chief Financial Partner, Honest Marijuana Company
Juicier Jobs
It’s no surprise that juicy, amazing jobs came with the uprising of the marijuana industry. From edibles chefs to even cannabis tourism, there are tons of amazing jobs you can get inside the ganja environment.
Brand Loyalty
“I believe we will see the delivery, purification, and incorporation of cannabinoids in a wider range of products. All of this technology will allow the vast majority of consumers to experience and understand that cannabis is not just smoking a joint with your friends in the garage. We have the technology that allows people to combine the experience of drinking and marijuana, for example a martini with a little drop of cannabis in it. The research is done. People are already mixing the two experiences together. It comes down to responsible manufacturing.”
—Serge Chistov, Chief Financial Partner, Honest Marijuana Company
With more freedom comes a more competitive market. This means more brands coming up with innovative products that deliver the buzz its consumers are looking for. And with that, we’re starting to see a trend on brand loyalty on the side of consumers. It’s an exciting time for any cannabis marketing expert.
More Variety
“Cannabis oils and extracts are the future of cannabis, because of the ease of dosing and ability to customize formulas with terpenes and additional rare cannabinoids. For example, cannabis tinctures with THC and CBN are being used to improve sleep, whereas it’s difficult to breed cannabis flower to express higher CBN levels.”
– Dr. Michele Ross, Founder of Fibro University
One more for the win! And the final point of the trends. Cannabis is no longer solely found in the flower (come on, it’s not the sixties anymore!). We can stop being ashamed of our own cannabis consumption and focus on enjoying the experience, be it with oils, extracts, concentrates or edibles.
According to Chris Taylor, writer at Mashable, “non-smokeable weed is king.” Edible sales are up, oils sales are up, concentrates sales are up… and it’s a trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. The future of cannabis lies outside of the actual flower, and we’re living it right now.
Our Predictions
We know saying the flower will disappear sounds harsh and even pessimistic. But we don’t mean it like that.
“I do foresee oils and extracts being commercially available and acceptable than smoking a whole flower by yourself. The accessibility and convenience of using oils and extracts will definitely overtake flower consumption in a few year’s time.”
– Keith Myers, Founder & Editor in Chief of The Hempire
With so many options in the market today (and so many more innovations yet to come!), it seems as though the flower itself will veer more towards laboratories, where it will be processed for different types of extractions, while consumers focus on choosing the option that suits them best, be it in CBD oils or the latest soda water cannabis-infused edible.
Conclusion
So even though many consumers will keep on choosing the marijuana flower, many more are veering towards more convenient, discrete, and delicious options.
“Cannabis oils and extracts are the future of cannabis, because of the ease of dosing and ability to customize formulas with terpenes and additional rare cannabinoids. For example, cannabis tinctures with THC and CBN are being used to improve sleep, whereas it’s difficult to breed cannabis flower to express higher CBN levels.”
– Dr. Michele Ross, Founder of Fibro University
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